Sugar Bowl Links Up With Royal Gorge Oct 02
Good news for Nordic skiers in the Sierra Nevada. Sugar Bowl Resort has signed a deal to operate Royal Gorge Cross Country Resort, its nearby nneighbor and the largest cross-country ski operation in the country. What’s so good about that? Well, the Sugar Bowl people run a good shop. And they plan to invest $500,000 this season to spruce up facilities at the massive Royal Gorge site, including a facelift for the area’s Summit Station lodge along with new grooming gear. While the Sugar Bowl folks will run Royal Gorge, they won’t own the land. Royal Gorge is being purchased by the Truckee Donner Land Trust, the Trust for Public Land and the Northern Sierra Partnership for over $11 million. Royal Gorge has 200 kilometers of trails and approximately 6,000 acres of terrain, stretching from Van Norden Meadows to the foot of Devil’s Peak. The Summit Station lodge is the center of the resort and eight warming huts dot the expansive eight-track trail system. According to a release detailing the deal, “Royal Gorge and Sugar Bowl are connected by an trail that allows skiers to shuttle between the Donner Summit resorts. Plans are in the works to further enhance the connection with two additional beginner-friendly routes. Sugar Bowl is offering a season pass that allows holders to downhill ski at Sugar Bowl and cross-country ski at Royal Gorge for one rate. Sugar Bowl passholders can add on an unrestricted Royal Gorge pass for $149 (adult price), and can purchase an unrestricted, standalone Royal Gorge pass for $299.